The Scout Report
June 26, 2015 -- Volume 21, Number 24
A Publication of Internet Scout
Computer Sciences Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research and Education
NASA Community College Aerospace ScholarsRights in America
Edutopia: Teacher Development
Crossword Puzzle Maker
PBS Learning Media: Gratitude and the Environment
Immigrant Heritage Month
Physics Central: Physics in Action
Free Code Camp
General Interest
Book RiotOld NYC
The Visible Human Project
Our unhealthy obsession with choice
Every Culture: Multicultural America
The National Archives: Beginners' Latin
This Land Is Your Land: Parks and Public Spaces
Network Tools
UMapperHabitRPG
In the News
Gmail Introduces New 'Undo Send' FeatureCopyright and subscription information appear at the end of the Scout Report. For more information on all services of Internet Scout, please visit our Website: https://scout.wisc.edu
If you'd like to know how the Internet Scout team selects resources for
inclusion in the Scout Report, visit our Selection Criteria page at:
https://scout.wisc.edu/scout-report/selection-criteria
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Current issue:
https://scout.wisc.edu/report/current
This issue:
https://scout.wisc.edu/report/2015/0626
Feedback is always welcome: scout@scout.wisc.edu
Research and Education
http://www.ncas.aerospacescholars.org/
NASA
Community
College
Aerospace
Scholars
(NCAS)
is
a
fully
funded,
STEM-related
program
that
is
sure
to
get
educators'
attention.
The
opportunity
begins
with
a
five-week
online
learning
experience
that
uses
the
past
and
present
of
Mars
missions
to
elucidate
math,
science,
and
engineering
quandaries.
Participating
students
then
go
on-site
for
an
all-expenses
paid
workshop
at
a
NASA
center.
Even
for
students
who
don't
apply
to
the
highly
competitive
program,
however,
there
are
some
wonderful
resources
on
the
site.
The
Features
section,
for
instance,
hosts
portraits
of
eight
student-scholars
who
completed
the
program,
telling
the
stories
of
how
they
came
to
the
program,
and
what
they
did
afterward.
In
addition,
under
the
About
NASA
and
JSC
tab,
readers
can
find
links
to
NASA
centers
around
the
country,
including
the
famed
Lyndon
B.
Johnson
Space
Center
in
Houston,
Texas
and
the
Jet
Propulsion
Laboratory
in
Pasedena,
California.
[CNH]
http://www.docsteach.org/home/rights
This
site
from
the
National
Archives
is
designed
to
provide
educators
with
primary
sources
about
the
struggle
for
rights
in
the
United
States.
However,
any
reader
with
an
interest
in
American
history
will
find
much
to
ponder
here.
In
the
Teaching
Activities
section,
educators
may
choose
from
two
dozen
compelling
classroom
activities
on
topics
that
run
the
gamut
from
The
Civil
Rights
Act
of
1964
and
the
Equal
Employment
Opportunity
Commission
to
the
Integration
of
the
U.S.
Armed
Forces
to
the
Assimilation
of
American
Indians.
The
Primary
Sources
by
Topic
section
provides
fascinating
original
documents,
photographs,
and
other
paraphernalia
on
a
range
of
topics.
It's
a
wonderful
way
for
educators,
students,
and
the
generally
curious
to
engage
with
primary
sources
related
to
Citizenship,
Free
Speech,
Americans
with
Disabilities,
Immigrants,
and
more
than
a
dozen
other
topics.
[CNH]
http://www.edutopia.org/teacher-development
As
the
Edutopia
site
notes,
"High-quality
teaching
is
vital
for
student
success."
Created
by
the
George
Lucas
Educational
Foundation,
this
section
of
the
Edutopia
site
presents
readers
with
a
plethora
of
information
on
Teacher
Development.
Educators,
as
well
as
anyone
interested
in
the
art
and
science
of
good
teaching,
may
like
to
begin
with
the
Overview
section
of
the
site.
Here,
a
short
introductory
video
lays
the
groundwork
for
growing
great
teachers.
Moving
on,
the
article
"Why
Is
Teacher
Development
Important?:
Because
Students
Deserve
the
Best"
(which
can
be
located
under
the
Importance
tab)
provides
an
introduction
to
the
tools,
mentorship
models,
and
experiences
that
help
prepare
teachers
for
the
classroom.
The
Research
tab
is
another
great
addition
to
the
site
and
delivers
a
review
of
research
with
generous
links
to
other
articles,
both
on
and
off
the
Edutopia
site.
A
number
of
Teacher
Development
Videos,
which
can
be
viewed
free
of
charge,
and
a
discussion
board
round
out
the
site.
[CNH]
http://worksheets.theteacherscorner.net/make-your-own/crossword/
Crossword puzzles can be a fun and effective way to teach vocabulary and other information to students of all ages. This site, from The Teachers Corner, makes creating a crossword puzzle quick and hassle-free. Simply enter words and clues into the available columns. Meanwhile, a spell check feature will automatically provide feedback. Then, once the words and clues are entered, users may choose whether or not to Show the Word Bank (or let students figure out the words freestyle), before selecting Make Crossword Puzzle for their finished product. From there, puzzle makers can print, add images, and create a PDF, among other options. [CNH]
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/transt.pd.lpgratitude/gratitude-and-the-environment/
This
site
from
PBS
outlines
a
lesson
plan
(intended
for
grade
levels
5-8)
concerning
gratitude
for
the
earth's
diverse
ecologies.
The
page
offers
a
two
paragraph
Lesson
Summary,
information
about
Time
Allotment,
and
several
Learning
Objectives,
including
understanding
the
dual
nature
of
gratitude
(appreciation
and
reciprocity),
understanding
the
positive
and
negative
interactions
between
humans
and
the
environment,
recognizing
how
gratitude
can
fuel
actions,
and
recognizing
the
benefits
of
diverse
perspectives.
There
are
also
links
to
a
number
of
media
resources,
as
well
as
the
nine-step
lesson
plan
itself,
which
spans
two
class
periods
and
moves
back
and
forth
between
lecture,
media
presentations,
and
discussion.
[CNH]
http://welcome.us/
June
is
Immigrant
Heritage
Month,
and
this
site
is
alive
with
stories
of
America's
diverse
citizenry.
Readers
may
view
uploaded
videos,
tweets
and
retweets,
photographs,
inspiring
quotes,
and,
above
all,
the
many,
many
stories
of
those
who
have
come
to
America
looking
for
a
better
life.
Some
of
the
stories,
such
as
a
Vietnamese
man's
first
encounter
with
snow,
are
humorous;
others,
such
as
children
of
immigrants
recalling
their
parents
sacrifices,
are
touching.
Overall,
the
site
has
an
almost
overwhelming
ability
to
convey
the
complexity
and
depth
of
the
American
immigrant
experience,
in
many
of
its
varied
forms.
Educators
may
find
the
site
useful
during
lesson
plans
on
immigration
and
the
diversity
of
the
United
States,
while
other
readers
may
just
enjoy
the
wealth
of
narrative
available
here.
[CNH]
http://www.physicscentral.com/explore/action/index.cfm
Physics in Action, which is sponsored by the American Physical Society, takes readers into dozens of different physics topics, often from unexpected and interesting angles. On the site, the whirling skirts worn by Moslem ascetics serve as fodder for an explanation of the Coriolis Effect; a water slide becomes the example in an article on atomic friction; and the history of batteries may just tell us the energy storage possibilities of the future. The site can be searched by nine different topics, including Chaos, Force & Motion, and Material Science (among others). The entire backlog of articles is also fully accessible under the Archives tab. [CNH]
http://www.freecodecamp.com/
Completing
Free
Code
Camp
is
no
easy
task.
In
fact,
students
log
over
1,600
coding
hours
by
the
time
they
complete
all
the
classes,
tasks,
and
projects
that
the
site
employs.
The
upswing,
however,
can
be
significant,
as
the
site
promises
that
committed
users
will:
learn
full
stack
JavaScript;
build
a
portfolio
of
real
apps
that
real
people
are
using;
and,
hopefully,
get
a
coding
job.
Users
begin
by
taking
200
hours
of
online
lessons.
Next,
they
log
200
hours
of
JavaScript
Algorithm
practice,
then
work
on
200
hours
of
front
end
web
development,
followed
by
200
hours
of
full
stack
web
development
practice.
Camp
is
then
rounded
out
by
800
hours
of
real-world
web
development
work
for
participating
non-profits.
Along
the
way,
users
connect
with
other
"campers,"
and
learn
applicable
skills.
An
email
address
or
social
media
account
(e.g.
Facebook,
Twitter,
etc.)
is
needed
to
create
an
account,
but
the
site
is
well-organized,
user-friendly,
and,
best
of
all,
free.
[CNH]
General Interest
http://bookriot.com/
Perhaps
one
of
the
defining
features
of
Book
Riot,
the
online
book
review
site,
is
its
indifference
to
the
distinctions
between
"highbrow"
and
"lowbrow."
Here
book
lovers
will
find
intricate
perlustrations
of
19th
century
French
dramatists
next
to
peppy
lineups
of
the
best
summer
beach
reads.
Genres
covered
include
Children's,
Classics,
Feminism,
Poetry,
and
over
a
dozen
others.
With
more
than
20
unique
columns,
readers
can
browse
musings
on
the
week's
most
exciting
books
(Fresh
Ink),
view
thematic
selections
from
select
authors
(Reading
Pathways),
or
even
participate
in
The
Ultimate
Book
Trivia
Challenge
(Quizzes).
The
site
even
offers
its
own
weekly
podcast,
with
a
backlog
of
over
100
episodes
at
the
time
of
this
writing.
In
addition
to
all
of
those
enticements,
the
site
donates
two
percent
of
its
revenue
to
literacy-related
nonprofits.
[CNH]
http://www.oldnyc.org/
The
New
York
Public
Library's
Irma
and
Paul
Milstein
Division
of
United
States
History,
Local
History
and
Genealogy
boasts
a
collection
of
over
80,000
original
photographs
of
New
York
taken
between
the
1870s
and
1970.
This
site
gathers
many
of
those
images
together
into
a
dynamic
online
map
outfitted
with
red
dots.
Readers
may
zoom
in,
zoom
out,
and
click
on
the
dots
to
find
photographs
drawn
from
particular
geographical
locations,
thereby
witnessing
the
changing
landscapes
of
New
York
City
over
a
period
of
nearly
a
hundred
years.
For
instance,
clicking
on
the
dot
that
corresponds
to
East
42nd
Street
and
2nd
Avenue
in
Manhattan
calls
up
over
a
dozen
images
from
a
number
of
decades,
including
a
1920
shot
of
the
3rd
Avenue
elevated
train,
which
was
eventually
closed
in
the
1950s.
Any
photograph
of
interest
can
be
explored
in
grater
detail
in
the
NYPL
Digital
Collections.
[CNH]
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/visible/visible_human.html
The
Visible
Human
Project
is
one
of
the
groundbreaking
initiatives
that
makes
the
National
Library
of
Medicine
so
fascinating.
Using
donated
cadavers,
the
Project
has
created
"complete,
anatomically
detailed,
three-dimensional
representations"
of
male
and
female
bodies,
sectioned
at
one
millimeter
(male)
and
one-third
millimeter
(female)
intervals.
On
the
site,
readers
can
find
an
extremely
helpful
FactSheet,
link
to
several
articles
about
the
initiative,
and
view
a
number
of
revealing
images
and
animations
from
the
project.
(Note:
the
animations
require
RealPlayer
for
Windows
or
QuickTime
for
Mac
users.)
There
are
also
links
to
proceedings
from
several
Visible
Human
Project
Conferences,
where
readers
may
view
overviews
of
presentations
and
view
related
images
and
movies.
[CNH]
http://www.ted.com/talks/renata_salecl_our_unhealthy_obsession_with_choice
The
idea
of
choice
has
been
elevated
to
an
ideal
of
nearly
religious
dimensions
in
the
United
States
and
other
Western
democracies.
But
is
there
a
dark
side
to
the
ideology
of
choice?
Renata
Salecl,
the
Slovenian
philosopher
and
social
critic,
thinks
there
is.
In
this
talk,
Salecl
draws
from
fields
as
diverse
as
sociology
and
psychoanalysis
to
problematize
the
unexamined
promotion
of
choice.
In
fact,
in
the
course
of
15
minutes,
she
argues
that
our
choices
are
seldom
rational;
in
fact,
an
overabundance
of
choice
is
anxiety
provoking,
and,
perhaps
most
provocatively,
the
ideology
of
choice
actually
blocks
us
from
becoming
productive
and
powerful
agents
within
democratic
societies.
Whether
or
not
one
agrees
with
the
critique,
the
talk
certainly
makes
one
think
about
the
intricacies
of
choice.
[CNH]
http://www.everyculture.com/multi/
The
Acadians,
French-speaking
settlers
more
commonly
known
as
"Cajuns,"
first
took
up
residence
in
what
is
now
Eastern
Canada's
Maritime
provinces,
part
of
Quebec,
and
present-day
Maine
in
the
17th
century,
only
to
be
driven
down
the
coastline
to
Louisiana
by
the
British.
Readers
may
find
a
long
article
about
the
"Acadians"
under
"A-Br"
in
the
Multicultural
America
section
of
EveryCulture.com.
Laid
out
in
alphabetical
order,
the
site
also
offers
detailed
information
about
Apaches,
Hmong
Americans,
Slovenian
Americans,
and
many
other
groups.
The
articles
are
well-written,
offer
rich
information
on
a
range
of
cultural
practices
and
histories,
and
usually
culminate
in
a
number
of
resources
for
further
inquiry,
such
as
lists
of
newsletters,
magazines,
newspapers,
and
websites.
[CNH]
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/latin/beginners/
For
anyone
interested
in
reading
official
documents
written
in
England
between
the
years
1086
and
1733,
knowing
Latin
is
often
a
necessity.
And
not
just
any
form
of
the
language,
but
the
particular
version
of
Latin
used
in
those
documents,
which
differs
from
classical
Latin
in
significant
ways.
Thankfully,
the
National
Archives
of
the
United
Kingdom
has
launched
a
practical
online
tutorial
for
beginners
in
this
uniquely
British
dialect
of
the
ancient
tongue.
On
the
site,
readers
may
link
to
explanations
of
the
language
and
read
about
classical
Latin.
They
may
also,
of
course,
engage
in
the
free
Tutorial,
which
starts
with
a
lesson
on
verbs
and
ends,
eleven
sessions
later,
with
a
5-stage
lesson
on
adverbs,
numbers
and
dates,
months,
useful
phrases,
and
dating
clauses.
Each
lesson
includes
practice
sentences
and
at
least
one
activity.
Best
of
all,
once
readers
finish
with
Beginners'
Latin,
they
can
move
on
to
the
equally
exceptional
Advanced
Latin,
also
on
the
National
Archives
page.
[CNH]
http://dp.la/exhibitions/exhibits/show/this-land
One
of
the
ways
that
the
Digital
Public
Library
of
America
(DPLA)
showcases
its
growing
collections
-
DPLA
hit
ten
million
items
in
April
2015
-
is
through
exhibitions.
This
Land
Is
Your
Land
presents
materials
from
several
DPLA
contributors,
including
Clemson
University
Special
Collections,
Yellowstone
National
Park,
and
Great
Smoky
Mountains
National
Park.
The
images
are
organized
into
6
themes:
Building
the
Parks,
Interpretation
of
Parks,
Landscapes,
Protecting
the
Parks,
Stewards
of
the
Parks,
and
Wildlife
and
People.
Several
of
the
themes
include
sub-themes;
for
example,
first
select
Stewards
of
the
Parks
to
access
the
landing
page
for
this
fascinating
sub-collection.
From
there,
use
the
"Next"
button
to
move
on
to
The
Stewards
of
History
at
Andersonville
National
Historic
Site
sub-theme
for
individual
and
group
shots
of
rangers
at
Andersonville
National
Historic
Site,
a
park
that
is
located
on
the
grounds
of
Camp
Sumter,
a
Civil
War
prison
camp.
Visit
the
From
Superintendents
to
Assistants
sub-theme
for
a
few
photos
of
some
of
the
other
staff
in
National
Parks
who
are
not
park
rangers,
such
as
superintendents
and
their
secretaries.
[DS]
Network Tools
http://www.umapper.com/
UMapper makes life easy for anyone who would like to create, manage, distribute, and even monetize their own custom maps. Umapper Basic, which includes the creation of unlimited public and private maps (but doesn't cover commercial applications) is free. Sign up requires nothing more than an email address. From there, users can create and distribute interactive maps and track their usage. The service is ideal for educators looking to spice up their lesson plans, bloggers of all kinds, and a wide range of readers with unique roles and interests. For inspiration, there are plenty of maps to peruse under the Explore tab on the site. [CNH]
https://habitrpg.com/static/front
If
you
need
a
little
extra
accountability
and
want
to
have
some
fun
while
you're
at
it,
HabitRPG,
an
online
tool
that
turns
your
to-do
list
into
a
video
game,
might
be
just
the
thing.
With
HabitRPG
anyone
can
"gamify"
their
daily
and
weekly
tasks
-
whether
work,
school,
or
wellness
related.
Along
the
way,
users
may
compete
with
friends
and
join
interest
groups.
This
community
then
reinforces
good
behaviors
and
discourages
laxity
by
giving
your
avatar
prizes
for
crossing
off
items
on
the
to-do
list
or
subtracting
"health"
as
a
consequence
for
weak
moments.
Getting
started
is
easy,
simply
register
for
an
account
using
either
Facebook
or
an
email
address.
Then
create
and
customize
an
avatar,
add
tasks,
and
let
the
games
begin.
[CNH]
In the News
An end to email shame? Gmail's 'Undo Send' comes to the masses
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/24/gmail-undo-send-email-google
Gmail adds an 'undo Send' email tool for its users
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/33256814/gmail-adds-an-undo-send-email-tool-for-its-users
Gmail's 'Undo Send' Option Officially Rolls Out
http://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2015/06/23/gmail-undo-send/
Gmail Officially Adds Undo Send, Turn It On Right Now
http://gizmodo.com/gmail-officially-adds-undo-send-turn-it-on-right-now-1713353235
Google Gives Gmail Users the Ability to 'Undo Send'
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/06/23/google-gives-gmail-users-the-ability-to-undo-send/
How to Unsend Emails in Gmail
http://www.wired.com/2015/06/gmail-undo-send/
It
seems
that
everyone
has,
at
some
point,
sent
an
email
that
they
immediately
regretted.
Whether
it
was
"replying
all"
when
the
information
was
meant
for
just
one
person,
or
writing
something
harsh
and
then
thinking
better
of
it,
who
hasn't
wished
they
could
reach
into
their
computer
and
take
back
their
words?
Well,
now
Gmail
is
giving
its
users
that
chance
-
sort
of.
Google
unveiled
its
new
"Undo
Send"
function
this
week
that,
in
fact,
offers
email
correspondents
a
precious,
if
short,
window
after
sending
an
email
to
cancel
and
rewrite.
How
does
it
work?
Users
need
only
turn
on
the
function
in
their
settings,
choosing
a
"cancellation
period"
of
five,
10,
20,
or
30
seconds.
Then
each
time
an
email
is
sent,
an
unobtrusive
pop-up
appears
offering
the
option
to
"undo."
Clicking
on
the
icon
reverts
to
the
original
email,
where
the
author
may
tinker
at
will.
[CNH]
The first three links, from the Guardian, BBC, and Forbes, offer coverage of Gmail's roll out of the 'undo send' feature, which has been available through its Labs section for six years, but only became a standard feature this week. Next on the docket, Gizmodo's Matt Novak offers some advice about the feature: "Turn it on." In addition, an article from the Wall Street Journal's tech blog features a handy screenshot of what to look for in the Gmail settings when scrolling for the new feature, and Megan Logan, writing for Wired, offers some simple, step-by-step instructions for how to turn on the feature.
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